Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide on Litter Chemistry and Decomposition on Litter Chemistry and Decomposition

The results of published and unpublished experiments investigating the impacts of elevated carbon dioxide on the chemistry <em>(nitrogen and lignin concentration)</em> of leaf litter and the decomposition of plant tissues are assembled in a format appropriate for statistical meta-analysis of the effect of carbon dioxide (CO²). The synthesis originated from a workshop, Litter Quality and Decomposition under Elevated CO2, held in Capri, Italy, September 1998, under the auspices of Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems project (GCTE) and the European COST network. Data on litter chemistry and decomposition of plant tissue grown in elevated and ambient carbon dioxide concentrations were gathered from participants of that workshop and from other published and pre-publication sources. The litter chemistry database comprised observations of naturally senesced leaves of herbaceous and woody plants exposed to elevated carbon dioxide (typically 600-700 ppm) in the field or in field chambers in the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Data from plants grown in growth chambers with artificial lighting were excluded because of the possible artifacts of unbalanced nutrition or abnormal senescence. Also excluded were data from non-senesecent green leaves. The measures of litter chemistry were nitrogen concentration (mg/g) and lignin concentration (mg/g), with the number of replications and standard deviations included when available. The decomposition database included a wide range of plant tissue from different types of carbon dioxide-enrichment experiments. The measure of decomposition was percentage of initial mass lost over the course of the decomposition trial, which varied in duration.

本数据集汇集了已发表与未发表的实验结果，旨在探究大气二氧化碳浓度升高对植物落叶化学组成（氮浓度与木质素浓度）以及植物组织分解过程的影响，数据整理格式适配二氧化碳（CO₂）效应的统计元分析。
该数据集的整合源自1998年9月于意大利卡普里举办的"大气CO₂浓度升高下的落叶质量与分解"研讨会，本次研讨会由全球变化与陆地生态系统项目（Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems, GCTE）及欧洲COST网络联合主办。
本数据集的落叶化学组成与植物组织分解相关数据，采集自本次研讨会的参会者以及其他已发表、即将发表的研究资料，涵盖了在升高与环境二氧化碳浓度条件下培育的植物组织相关记录。
落叶化学组成数据库包含了在美国、欧洲、新西兰以及澳大利亚的野外或野外培养箱中，对经大气CO₂浓度升高处理（通常为600~700 ppm）的草本与木本植物自然衰老落叶的观测数据。
对于采用人工光照的生长箱培育的植物相关数据，由于可能存在营养失衡或衰老异常等实验假象，故予以剔除；同时剔除了未衰老的绿叶相关数据。
落叶化学组成的测定指标为氮浓度（mg/g）与木质素浓度（mg/g），若有完整记录则同时包含重复次数与标准差。
分解数据库涵盖了多种类型的二氧化碳富集实验中获取的各类植物组织样本，其分解过程的测定指标为分解试验周期内的初始质量损失百分比，各试验的周期长短各不相同。